Multiple tile unit



y 29, 1958 E; A. TALBO'IVT 2,844,955

MULTIPLE TILE: UNIT Filed Feb.. 1955 INVENTOR. Ewe/s0 4. 72145077 ATTORNEY United States Patent O MULTIPLE TILE UNIT Eldred A. Talbott, South Pasadena, Calif. Application February 7, 1955, Serial No. 486,637

3 Claims. (Cl. 7222) This invention relates to wall tiles and deals more particularly with a multiple tile panel or unit, it being an object of the invention to provide a novel unit greatly facilitating tile setting. I

The customary individual setting of tile is, of course, time-consuming in direct proportion to the number of tiles being set. It is another object of this invention to connect a plurality of tiles to form a unit that is adapted to be set in place on a wall, or other surface, as a unit, thereby greatly reducing tile-setting time over that of individual setting time.

Ceramic mosaic tiles are usually mounted on sheets of paper that are applied to the faces of the tiles and the same are removed after setting of the tiles, by soaking the paper in water. For larger ceramic tiles, such faced-mounted sheets obscure the work, prevent the tiles being soaked in water (a necessary operation for mortar installations), and, in a large measure, affect the accuracy of the tile-setting operation.

Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide a unit comprising a plurality of tiles in which the outer faces of the tiles'are uncovered and, therefore, permit of greater facility of accurate setting of said unit.

Since an accepted step in the setting of ceramic tiles is that of soaking the tiles before setting, it is a further object of the invention to so interconnect the backs of said tiles as not to interfere with suitable moisture absorption preliminary to setting.

A still further object of the invention is to provide tile-connecting tapes that are so formed as to permit setting of a multiple tile unit with proper bonding of the tiles to the mastic or mortar to which applied and also provide for suitable bonding of said mortar of grouting material applied in the crevices between the tiles after the latter have been set in place.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a face view of a fragment of a tile-covered surface, indicating the manner of use of the present multiple tile units.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, partly broken, rear view of one of the multiple tile units.

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged fragmentary edge view,

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showing the manner of connecting two adjacent rows of tiles.

The tiles 5 that are illustrated are typical of rectangular ceramic tile, having the usual finished or glazed outer face 6 and the preferably roughened or corrugated unglazed rear face 7. Each edge of said tiles is usually provided with at least two lugs 8 which cooperate with thelugs of adjacent tiles to locate the tiles accurately with relation to each other and to leave spaces 9 between the tiles for the purpose of receiving grouting material 10 after the tiles have been set on a surface either in mortar or other mastic material.

The foregoing is quite conventional and insures accuracy of the tile setting and also assurance that a large proportion of the grouting 10 is suitably keyed or interlocked with the mortar or mastic.

According to the present invention, a suitable number of such tiles, in two or more rows, are connected together as a panel or unit and may be set, as a unit, instead of being individually set, as before.

As shown in the drawing, adjacent rows of tiles 5 are connected by preferably plastic tapes 11 to, not only connect the rows of tiles, but also the tiles in each row. Said tapes 11 are applied along the seams or abutting edges of the tiles and need extend in one direction only because of the mentioned connection among the tiles of each row. Thus, two tapes may connect three rows of tiles, the number of rows being connected being greater by one than the number of tapes that are used.

The tapes 11 are ordinarily adhesive coated and may, therefore, be readily affixed to the rear faces 7 of the tiles, the unglazed character of said faces improving the degree of bond between the tiles and the tapes. The tapes are preferably pliable and have sufficient strength to retain connection of the tiles even when well soaked. Except for having these properties, said tapes may be made of any material, whether plastic or cellulose.

In order to insure that the grouting 10 may be interconnected with the mortar or mastic in which the tile panel is set to thereby, reduce the likelihood of said grouting breaking out, said tapes are preferably provided with suitable perforations or other openings 12 that substantially coincide with the seam between the rows of tiles. Hence, the grouting, by going through perforations 12, keys the same to the mortar or mastic.

In addition to tapes 11, short sections of tapes 13 may be applied to interconnect adjacent tiles of the rows thereof that are outside. The only purpose of such sections of tape is to hold said outer rows aligned and facilitate handling of the multiple tile panel or unit.

It will be evident that a panel, such as here provided, may be set in little more time than it takes to set a single tile, and that the objects of the invention have been realized in the construction described.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A multiple tile unit comprising plural rows of tiles in edge-to-edge abutment, each said tile being provided with protruding edge lugs andthe lugs of adjacent tiles being engaged and defining through'spaces between the adjacent tiles and along the line where the same join, and a separate flexible tape disposed along each line joining adjacent rows of tiles and adhesively connected to the tiles to connect the tiles of each row and the rows of tiles together, the tape being substantially narrower than a row of tiles to leave an expanse of such row of tiles exposed between the tapes.

2. In a plurality of fiat tiles arranged in edge-to-edge abutment in a plurality of rows, each said tile being provided with protruding edge lugs and the lugs of adjacent tiles being engaged and defining through spaces between the adjacent tiles and along the line where the same join, the improvement that comprises a flexible tape adhesively engaged with the rear faces of the tiles along the lines where adjacent rows of tiles join, said tape having perforations therein that substantially register with the adjacent edges of adjacent rows of tiles, the tape being substantially narrower than a row of tiles to leave an expanse of such row of tiles exposed between the tapes.

3. In a plurality of fiat tiles arranged in edge-to-edge abutment in a plurality of rows, each said tile being provided with protruding edge lugs and the lugs of adjacent tiles being engaged and defining through spaces between the adjacent tiles and along the line where the same join, the improvement that comprises a narrow flexible tape adhesively engaged with the rear faces of the tiles along each line Where adjacent rows of tiles join, said tape being spaced and parallel and being provided with perforations therein and the perforations registering with the through openings, the tape being substantially narrower than a row of tiles to leave an expanse of such row of tiles exposed between the tapes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 712,168 Worth Oct. 28, 1902 762,428 Munro June 14, 1904 807,083 Millhofi Dec. 12, 1905 926,282 Nicholls June 29, 1909 2,183,450 Filangeri Dec. 12, 1939 

